I am delighted to be joining Manchester United on loan this season. Manchester United is the biggest club in the world and is clearly determined to get back to the top. I am looking forward to working with Louis van Gaal and contributing to the team’s success at this very exciting period in the club’s history.

He later tweeted a series of messages, expressing his delight at becoming United's new No. 9. Falcao also clarified that his decision to join the club was not forced upon him:

Moving to @ManUtd was my decision. It's exciting to play at the world's best club and in such a competitive league.

Van Gaal confessed he simply had to move for the player once he heard of his availability:

I am delighted Radamel has joined us on loan this season. He is one of the most prolific goalscorers in the game. His appearance-to-goal ratio speaks for itself and, when a player of this calibre becomes available, it is an opportunity not to be missed.

Sky Sports and B/R UK guest columnist Guillem Balague indicates the temporary deal will become permanent at the end of the season:

Falcao agents insist he's been bought €65m for 4 years. Loan deal first for FFP reasons?

Falcao's arrival certainly provides a major boost to an attack that has failed to score in two of its four competitive games this season. Only Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata have hit the back of the net for United so far, while Robin van Persie has posted a couple of laboring displays upon returning to first-team duty.

Balague believes van Gaal is expecting van Persie to have a long road back to full health:

Van Gaal thinks Van Persie will continue struggling with injuries and Falcao is more than an ideal replacement

The 28-year-old striker, who signed a five-year deal with the principality club last summer, ended up appearing in less than 20 matches for the Ligue 1 runners-up. He scored nine goals in 17 league performances last season, per WhoScored.com, and has netted two in three this campaign.

Where does Falcao rank among strikers?

Best in the worldTop 5Top 10Outside Top 10Submit Votevote to see results

Where does Falcao rank among strikers?

Best in the world

13.6%

Top 5

59.7%

Top 10

22.7%

Outside Top 10

4.1%

Total votes: 7,261

Falcao's recent ailment forced him to miss Colombia's exciting World Cup run. It was a major setback for the player, who was finally going to get his chance to shine on the world stage. Los Cafeteros played exciting football in Brazil, led by the likes of James Rodriguez, and could have used a deadly forward of Falcao's ilk to finish chances off.

Monaco's willingness to sell the player so quickly perhaps comes as a shock. Owner Dmitry Rybolovlev has a divorce settlement of £2.6 billion, which may well influence his business dealings.

There's no denying the French club will miss Falcao's presence. After all, he is one of the top strikers in the world, and it's a position with limited depth in terms of top-end talent. Sinan Memon of Vavel considers the Colombian superstar the best in the world at the role he plays:

I've always maintained that Falcao is the best striker in the world. Suarez is brilliant but when Falcao is on form there is no one better.

Following a stay with Monaco that didn't live up to expectations, he'll now look to reestablish himself as an elite striker with his third club in as many seasons. Finding top form when constantly changing teams is always much easier said than done.

The deal will raise questions over United's transfer plan given that it seems to have a much greater need for defensive reinforcements, but there is no denying that Falcao is a world-class addition.